$100 REWARD BAND

[tkpaul]

Duke is 16 mos. old (the yellow dog below) and is one pass shy of his SHR. We've been working our way through "Single T" and all that entails. I'm learning more than he is I think.

We are hunting on about a 2 acre pond with an old creek bed that makes a little channel into some flooded timber. I have Duke on his lead, which means not much shooting for me, just dog work (which is what I want anyway). First flock that comes in are Gadwalls. Partner gets a double, short bird dead, long bird cripple (boy oh boy). Its splashing around and it doesn't take too much effort to get Duke's attn' on this bird. But when I'd send him, he'd look at me like "Darn thing is still flapping." (This is his first cripple). This happens a couple of times. So I walk him out across the channel and he takes off after the cripple just as I hoped he would. As Duke closes in on the bird, in about knee deep water, it dives, as many cripples will do. Duke starts spinning around like a tornado cause he knows that duck is "right here." Eventually, he gets the bird after covering about 175 yds and back to the blind we go, also picking up the first bird down.

Second flock that comes in is mallards, 5 in the flock. My buddy asks me if I want to shoot and he'll hold Duke. I pass just because I'm not still sure what Duke's reaction will be. One drake peels off out of the flock and drops right in the decoys. A 20 yd shot and dead mallard drake. Send Duke and he hits the water harder than he ever has. Retrieves the drake with all the style you could ever ask for. DOUBLE BANDED. $100.00 REWARD BAND. In South Central OK, we don't get many banded waterfowl. I've duck and goose hunted for 25 yrs. and never knew there was such a thing as a "$100.00 reward band."

We ended up killing 10 ducks total, and Duke retrieved everyone of them, including one more cripple. All you could ask out of a young dog. Today he earned the name "Double Banded Dog." Don't know of many dogs that get to retrieve a double banded mallard on their first hunt.

[Tatyana]

What a great story! Sounds like you both had great time during Duke's first hunt. I like the nickname, too!

[GulfCoast]

Good deal! Congratulations on the band and the good job by the pup! I have been duck hunting for 30 years, and hunting them hard for over 20, and have only 9 bands, and have never even SEEN a reward band. I woulda gone nuts! ;D

[imported_Belles mom]

Good deal! If the reward bended ducks are like the reward banded geese, make sure you match up the federal band with the reward band when you report it.

[olducker]

Great story! GOT Two in two days ,KY 2005/ ;D





One of the $100.00 reward bands."